Four in ten parents have admitted they break the law by not making their children sit in a car seat, a new study has revealed.
The new research found that 38 per cent of parents in Britain don’t always make their child sit in a car seat.
This is despite the fact car seats are a legal requirement until a child is 12 years old or 135cm tall – whichever comes first.
Research showed a quarter (22 per cent) even have their infants under 15 months facing forward, which is also illegal.
The shocking new figures, obtained by Halfords, found many parents are not complying with the law and therefore putting their children in danger.
Two thirds (66 per cent) of those with children under the age of 12 said they were trying to make their child’s seats ‘last longer’ as a result of money being tighter currently.
A quarter of these (26 per cent) who admitted to worries of the cost of living, revealed their child is using a seat that doesn’t fit in an effort to save money.
Surprisingly, there aren’t many parents who adhere entirely to the rules to keep their children safe.
Just 62 per cent ‘always’ adhering to rules of using a child seat, with the remaining four in ten (38 per cent) not doing so.
Parental admissions also extended to the travel habits of much younger passengers as well.
With proportionally heavier heads and more delicate necks, infants under 15 months are legally required to travel facing backwards and also strongly recommended to to travel on rear seats.
But despite this, just half of parents say their children travel rear-facing in the back – with three per cent confessing they don’t use a child seat at all and are instead just held by an adult, leaving them at risk of being flung around the car in the event of an accident.
Halfords CEO Graham Stapleton said: ‘As a parent and road safety advocate, I’m very concerned by these figures.
‘Adult seat belts are simply not suitable for children and in a serious crash, may not hold them in place, potentially putting children in deadly peril.
‘We’re very aware of how the cost of living crisis is impacting families across the UK at the moment, and that it can be tempting to try and make car seats last a bit longer, even when kids are starting to outgrow them.
‘Saving up for the full cost can take a bit of time. To help parents in this respect, we offer interest free credit on child seats, so they can get a car seat when they need one, even if they’ve not got the full amount up front.
‘There’s also a lot of rules, regulation and guidance to get your head around when buying a car seat – that’s why we offer a fitting demonstration service, so parents can get bespoke advice to make the best decision for their child.
‘For those that can’t make it in-store, we’ve also got a comprehensive list of easy-to-follow guidance on our website.’